ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a project in which members of our laboratory staff observed and interviewed rural Black families to find out why, despite their difficult circumstances, many of these children grow up competent rather than succumbing to the effects of their environments. Our project is an unusual one because very little work has been done on Black family dynamics, particularly among rural populations. Through our work we intend, therefore, to help fill this gap in the literature, as well as to provide a basis for intervention by specifically identifying those family strengths that help rural Black parents to rear successful children.
